Over the past few years, many new names have appeared on the Russian market, one of which is Tecno. The brand itself, however, is not a newcomer: the company’s devices have been sold in China and Africa since 2007. Camon 18 is the first Tecno smartphone that fell into my hands, which is why it is more interesting to know what it is.
Design
Neat and with a hint of premium
The first thing that catches your eye after unpacking: Tecno Camon 18 is by no means a small smartphone. Given the very slippery body, this is definitely worth considering. Fortunately, the device comes with a silicone case and a separate screen film (usually manufacturers stick them on themselves, but here the user has a choice).
I have no complaints about the design: the smartphone looks moderately strict, but at the same time it is not boring. The rectangular block of cameras here is reminiscent of the flagship solutions of 2021 and does not cause rejection. The glossy finish of the back cover, alas, collects fingerprints and scratches, which was to be expected. Separately, I note the coloring, the shade of which changes from gray to purple-blue depending on the lighting. The brand logo is neatly located in the lower right corner – I like this approach much more than large inscriptions on the entire back panel.
The controls are concentrated on the right side: the power button (also a fingerprint scanner) and separate volume buttons. The latter, in my opinion, are too recessed into the case, which is why it is sometimes difficult to find them blindly – even the corrugated surface does not save. A similar problem is observed with the fingerprint scanner. From the positive: unlocking occurs almost instantly and the smartphone recognizes the user in the vast majority of cases.
Display
The main problem of the smartphone
Let’s move on to the display – there is something to talk about. The smartphone is equipped with an impressive 6.8-inch screen with a resolution of 2460 × 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The main disadvantage of the Tecno Camon 18 IPS display is the low brightness, which even at the maximum level is not enough for outdoor use. It feels like the smartphone is about half as bright as its competitors, which, unfortunately, catches the eye. On the street, you can’t do without a house out of hand even on a not very sunny day.
Iron
Helio G88 and 6 GB of RAM
Tecno Camon 18 is based on a bunch of MediaTek Helio G88 processor, Mali-G52 MC2 graphics and 6 GB of RAM. Such hardware does an excellent job of rendering the interface and smooth everyday work – no freezes were noticed. On the positive side, I also note slight heating under load and minimal throttling.
But with games, the situation is worse. For the test, I used World of Tanks and Genshin Impact. Tanks on medium settings are difficult to play – the FPS value often drops below 30, so you have to choose low ones. Genshin Impact feels comfortable on the minimum settings set automatically, and when choosing medium, it starts to freeze noticeably. In general, you can’t exactly call the Tecno Camon 18 a gaming smartphone.
Camera
Three modules, but only one useful
Tecno Camon 18 boasts of having a triple camera, which sounds solid, but how is it really? The main module here is really not bad – 48 megapixels with f / 1.8 aperture, and two additional ones, as they say, are just for show. In my opinion, the 2MP macro camera and depth sensor are of dubious value to the user and only take up space on the rear panel.
However, back to the main camera. It allows you to take nice sharp pictures during the day, but every now and then strives to turn on the flash even in the daytime. Among the shortcomings, I note the noise reduction system, which sometimes overdoes it. In the dark, the smartphone is lost and cannot brighten the image to the desired level, however, for some reason, pictures of night landscapes are given to algorithms many times better.
The 16-megapixel front camera does its job well – I especially liked the front flash hidden to the right of the speaker in the top frame of the smartphone in this regard.
Battery
expected more
Trashbox.ru battery test results:
27:47
26:19
24:54
23:29
23:10
19:30
19:10
19:07
17:07
15:25
14:21
14:18
13:45
13:03
13:00
11:49
11:31
11:28
11:21
10:27
10:18
9:32
All battery test results and test methodology description
Despite the presence of a 5000 mAh battery and a low level of maximum brightness, the smartphone shows far from the best result in the Trashbox.ru battery test. In practice, this translates into a day of moderate use or a few hours of active use (such as gaming or video calling). Tecno Camon 18 supports 18W Flash Charge fast charging, which takes about two hours to restore the battery from 0 to 100%. Fortunately, the power supply in this case is included.
Review
After ten days of use
Having got acquainted with Tecno Camon 18 closer, I can say that not top-end hardware is hidden inside a beautiful case. In particular, I have complaints about a completely faded display and extra cameras, which, in fact, hide the presence of only one workable module. On the positive side of the smartphone, one can note weak heating, a decent front-facing camera and, again, a good appearance. Perhaps it is this set of benefits that is desirable for someone.
pros
- Stylish body.
- Screen 90 Hz.
- Film included.
- Front camera with flash.
Minuses
- Low performance.
- Unnecessary cameras.
- Low maximum brightness.
Source: Trash Box
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
